tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647Sun, 05 Oct 2014 01:24:35 +0000Aggie Men's BasketballCollege HoopsConditioningRecruitingSpectrumUSUFootballUtah State AthleticsUTAH STATE AGGIE BASKETBALLhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)Blogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-5751281288802982515Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:56:00 +00002013-01-10T14:00:12.994-08:00MBB BLOG - DANNY BERGER - 01-10-13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCtmsJz14Uw/UO85EM_PIxI/AAAAAAAAALI/6iVhWQk7IiI/s1600/Danny%2BBerger.0087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCtmsJz14Uw/UO85EM_PIxI/AAAAAAAAALI/6iVhWQk7IiI/s320/Danny%2BBerger.0087.jpg" /></a></div> <p>Hey everyone! I am extremely thankful that I have a chance to do this blog once again. I hope these words will portray some of the thoughts and feelings I have been having over the last month, but doubt that they will come close. I have put a lot of thought into what I would like to say, so hopefully it comes out right. <p>First of all, I thank God for the miracle He performed on December 4. I will try to refrain from getting too religious, but I know God lives, and He orchestrated the things that happened that day. I know a lot of people look at what happened to me and think that it was an enormous trial and wonder why it happened, but in all honesty, it has turned out to be an extremely great blessing in so many different ways. My faith in God has been strengthened tremendously, and the way I view human existence has changed dramatically. We forget a lot of things as humans, and this was a huge reminder of what is really important in life. I am forever in debt to my Heavenly Father for this. <p>I would now like to thank the people who have helped me tremendously throughout this entire experience. My family has obviously been a huge support to me not only during the past five weeks, but my entire life. I love them each individually. I cannot imagine what my parents went through as they heard the news and were several hours away from me at the time. My brother and sister are my best friends in this world, and I could not have done this without them. I could not have been placed in a better family here on earth. <p>Many of you are aware of the people who were on the scene who helped save my life. Please forgive me if I forget anyone because the list of people who helped me could be very long. I would like to take another moment to thank them again. Athletic trainer Mike Williams is the first of these I want to thank. His skill set and quickness to act was pivotal in my survival. Jessie Parker, our team manager, my roommate and friend knew exactly where the AED was at the moment of my collapse. His awareness and clarity of mind made it possible for Mike to do what he did. The coaches who were also trained in CPR need to be thanked. The paramedics who rushed to the Spectrum and doctors and nurses who worked on me and did the necessary things to preserve my life and memory are owed a thank you. My fellow teammates were huge in the whole situation, and I cannot imagine what they were going through. I also thank everyone who thought or prayed for me or sent me a message or a card or anything like that for what they did. I have realized how great the Aggie family really is. Thousands of people pulled together and have made this process a lot easier. The USU football team and their support, as well as the support from all the other teams, means a lot. <p>I was able to go home to Oregon for about a week which was great. I was able to see people who were also worried sick about what was going on. I helped get things back in order, and I was even able to catch a few of my high school team’s games which was awesome, but I am grateful to be back in Logan and starting school. <p>Rehab is going very well so far. With the defibrillator in my chest, activity is limited for a while, but I have been exercising on the stationary bike and even been jogging a little. I am taking things slow one day at a time and know I will be back to full strength on the court again some day soon. I have realized an important lesson which was hard to understand before all of this. I am extremely blessed to have been playing the game of basketball my entire life, but especially at this level and this specific institution. I realize that more and more each day as I sit and watch practice. I love the game and miss it already, but understand now that it has been such a great experience to be able to receive such great enjoyment from the game. I love basketball and playing here at Utah State. <p>Thanks again to all the people who have pulled together and saved my life. <p>Love,<br>Danny Bergerhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2013/01/thank-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-2518475658198881151Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:52:00 +00002012-12-03T08:52:24.568-08:00Let's go get us another W!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CiOxfUE_2cU/ULzYjXJYAcI/AAAAAAAAAKk/gY1QqlzQb7M/s1600/Danny%2BBerger.0182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CiOxfUE_2cU/ULzYjXJYAcI/AAAAAAAAAKk/gY1QqlzQb7M/s320/Danny%2BBerger.0182.jpg" /></a></div> Wow! What can I say about this week. It was a great win at Santa Clara. It was one of the craziest games I have ever been a part of. They are a really good team and it was a battle the entire way. I was proud of all the guys for never giving in as every one of us contributed to the win. It was great to finally be on the road with the guys and it is always a good chance to bond with each other. You only have each other when you’re in someone else's gym and you have to stick together to come out on top. We did a good job of that and now we have our second road game of the year against another good team. I can’t stop thinking about that game and some of the highlights. I had a great view of Kyisean’s monster dunk and Preston’s unbelievable three to tie the game. Jordan Stone also made some clutch free throws, and through some mistakes and adversity, we came out on top. It’s good to get a road win like that win at Santa Clara but we cannot relax because we have bigger plans than winning one game. This week of practice is going to be very important and we need to get better everyday. It was a great first road trip to start the season, now lets go get us another W! http://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2012/12/lets-go-get-us-another-w.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-921471337142210335Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:02:00 +00002012-10-26T09:12:08.452-07:00Aggie Basketball Is Back!Well it is the start to another year of Aggie basketball! It is an exciting time of year with college football in full effect and college basketball starting up. A big shout out to the Aggie football team so far this year - Let’s keep the wins coming! As for this year’s basketball team, we are all very optimistic at the chance we have to be a good team. Summer and fall workouts were a huge benefit as we had most of the guys in Logan. It has been great getting to know all of the new guys and being able to work on our team chemistry on the court. Practices so far have been good, there is competition everyday which will only make us better. Everyone is together and buying in to the system which will benefit us greatly. The first game has snuck up on us pretty quick but we are all excited and ready to play. <p>I think it is fair to speak for everyone when I say that we have all worked hard on our games this summer. Getting in the weight room has been a huge emphasis with us, but also developing our games on the court. It was good for me to be able to go back to Oregon and get a full summer under my belt lifting and getting shots up. We hope that we can all have fun playing basketball together while giving the fans a good show! Go Aggies! <p>-- Danny Bergerhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2012/10/aggie-basketball-is-back.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-7496825786842383427Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:33:00 +00002012-01-18T10:34:47.960-08:00Growing PainsGrowing pains might be the theme for this year’s team. With so many new guys and so many roles to be defined, along with the natural progression of a team throughout the season has been more noticeable as expected with this Aggie team. The good thing is that we are learning and growing; without a doubt. <br />Last week we were on a five-day road trip to play two conference road games on a Thursday/Saturday deal. This trip happened to be one of the toughest road trips we take every year with New Mexico State followed by LA Tech. Thankfully to our generous boosters we were able to take a charter plane for the entire trip. With having our own plane we can leave whenever, and are also able to bypass the whole airport ordeal. With the charter and great support from our staff, especially our manager Jesse Parker, the trip went a lot smoother. Jesse really takes care of us with all of our gear and food, best manager in the nation!! So a big shout out to all those who made our trip a lot easier.<br />New Mexico State was huge at all positions; knowing that coming in we knew it would be a very physical game. Starting off the game, I think all of us were ready to bring some physicality, and caused us to get into some foul trouble. I think this also made us a little more tentative in the second half. These problems combined to make for an interesting game. With 14 minutes to go, we were up four, heading out of a media timeout. From there we completely collapsed and ended up getting beat by 20. We were pretty embarrassed to say the least, very uncharacteristic of this team to just give up. With only a day in-between games we had to learn and move on. We learned to never let that happen again and also to adjust to how the game is being called without taking ourselves out of the game.<br />Next day we arrived in Louisiana ready to get better and work on taking that next step forward. With a double header on the women’s schedule we needed to practice that night at eight o’ clock. I was slightly worried with the late start and so much travel we would have a sluggish practice. With a small team meeting between us players we actually had one of our better practices of the year. The next day it really showed in our game. Battling through a ton of adversity we fought all game, getting contributions from almost every eligible player, which was really awesome. The game was back and forth all night, but we managed to pull out a win down to the wire. Our second road win was very much earned and felt awesome. It’s amazing how much more fun traveling can be after a win, especially all of us hanging out on our private plane.<br />This week entails a similar schedule with two road games looking to complete a sweep after earning a split. It’s time for this team to make a mid-season run. It would be great to start with two road wins.<br />Go Aggies!!<br /><br />--Morgan Grimhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2012/01/growing-pains.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-9221514267242954860Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:26:00 +00002012-01-04T15:31:29.244-08:00On To Conference PlayWow, has our team grown up over the past few months? Since the game at Pacific, we have really focused on becoming better in practice as a team. Coach Morrill challenged us to take responsibility for practice and since then that has been our focus; boy has it showed! Since then we have really turned the corner and are starting to become quite the basketball team. <br />After Pacific, we traveled to Wichita State to play in a very hostile arena, against a very good team. After a rough first half, we finally snapped out of it and guys really stepped up. It was a totally new Aggie team. Guys playing with confidence, believing they could play, it was awesome. Being such a young, inexperienced team, it was slightly expected that it might take a while for guys to get in the grove. I’ve seen it before in high school, sometimes playing-time fixes everything. I had faith in both our players and Coach Morrill to get this team rolling. We rallied back and really made a game out of it, bringing the deficit to four at one point, late in the game. <br />After our trip, the team went on to win four straight, which included a sweep of our home tournament. During that stretch, we really started playing well together. Players played roles and played for each other, it really has been fun to watch the team mature. As a team we have been growing closer both on and off the floor. Before Christmas we decided to get together and organize a secret Santa. It was really fun having some team bonding time and exchanging gifts. This led the team into a much needed four day break for the holidays.<br />After our break we were back to our regular schedule, with four days of practice before our game at Mississippi State. Since school has been out, we have virtually been living the life of a pro. Nothing but basketball and going out to eat meals with the team! It has been great not having to deal with school and having a lot of free time; and since most of the students are gone, we have started to hang out as a team more. I think that this has played a part in becoming a closer knit team. <br />After a solid week of practice, we left two days early to get to Mississippi on a charter, which was really convenient to fly from Logan straight into Starkville. When we landed we were greeted with some southern hospitality. Our bus driver gave a nice welcoming speech, and had some southern fried chicken for dinner. With an extra day we were able to spend a lot of time together, even catch a movie which was fun. Game day was very exciting, this time around, we came out with no fear on their home court. Being ranked 14th in the nation, MSU did not intimidate us. We played very physical and together; taking them right to the wire. Down two, with 14 seconds remaining, we had the ball with a chance to win or tie. Unfortunately we lost; and even though we had the game in our hands, it was once again a major step forward for our team. <br />With conference starting, we are striving to keep taking those steps toward becoming one of the many great Aggie basketball teams. What better way, then two home conference games in a week.<br />Go Aggies!<br /><br />-- Morgan Grimhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-to-conference-play.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-6179276907945435395Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:53:00 +00002011-11-22T17:55:38.848-08:00Just like that, we are 2-1Just like that, we're now three games into the season with a record of 2-1. Starting out with the much anticipated home opener to BYU, our young team learned quickly what it is like to play in the greatest college basketball atmosphere. I never got the final count on just how many students were at the campout that started the Tuesday before a Friday night's game. What's important to note is that it was some ridiculously awesome number that set a record as well as generated more news for our killer student section and basketball program. Needless to say, the crowd brought it and after a tight first half we pulled out the win over the Cougars.<br /> <br />We faced a bigger test on the road against Weber State and came up short. We came back to within six at the end of the game but couldn't quite repair the damage done in the first half. There's not much to say here I don't think. They outplayed us. We turned the ball over too many times and didn't make enough shots. <br /> <br />Back at home, we struggled against SUU, trailing most of the game. Our bench came up big for us in the second half to push us over the top. It was too close for a home game and too close to warrant a "Winning team, losing team" chant, but a win is a win.<br /> <br />The team is now on the road to face Texas A&M – Corpus Christi - all except me that is. After about three minutes into Saturday night's game I came out due to a foot injury. No bones were broken but I tore up the soft tissue on the top of my foot. The trainer gave a verdict of about four weeks but I think I will be ready to go in two. I'll be helping out against Wichita State, that's for sure.<br /> <br />We'll be counting on all of our new guys to step it up and bring their SUU second half with them on the road at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi and again on Saturday against Idaho State. The way we play this week will tell a lot about the maturity of this team. I know we're ready for the task and I'm expecting the first USU basketball game I watch on a screen to end in win. Let's go boys! <br /><br />-- Brady Jardinehttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/11/just-like-that-we-are-2-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-6635975070572623862Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:17:00 +00002011-11-04T13:22:58.327-07:00Aggie Men's BasketballCollege HoopsUtah State AthleticsExcited For Adams State, Saturday Nov. 5 at 4:05 p.m.To say the team is looking forward to Saturday's game against Adams State may be an understatement. After five straight days of long and exhausting practices the team couldn't be more excited for a game. Despite being sore from the challenges this week, I can say that as a team we've gotten better. Each day it was apparent that guys were giving everything they had in trying to improve. We've added quite a few new plays and even a couple of different defensive sets. With the regular season and our home opener with BYU just around the corner the team is as excited as ever for the year to start. With the anticipation comes a realization that we still have a lot to improve on by next Friday's game. Aggie fans can rest assured that the team and coaching staff is doing everything in our power to get ready to start the season off right at home next week!<br /><br />-- Brady Jardinehttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/11/excited-for-adams-state-saturday-nov-5.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-2676956451271807016Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:38:00 +00002011-10-25T19:38:06.472-07:00Blue and White Scrimmage, Wednesday Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We’re now 10 days into practice and it feels like we’re finally starting to make some real progress. The newcomers continue to do their best in absorbing all of the new information we have thrown at us each day. The playbook is really starting to grow as we prepare for our first exhibition game this Friday. It will be so nice to finally get to play against someone other than ourselves.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>It’s tough to see how well our offense is really coming until you play against someone that doesn’t know all of the plays. Even though we’ve only had a few practices learning the offense, we’ve already found ways to cheat the plays defensively. This is one of the main reasons for exhibition games, to see where we are really at as a team on both ends of the floor."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><u></u><u></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </span>Many people continue to ask how the team will be and want to know about each individual player. Well tomorrow you will have a chance to get to know the new squad at the annual Blue and White Scrimmage that starts at 7 pm in the Spectrum. We will play two 10 minute halves and then sign autographs and take pictures with any who would like to meet the guys. This is not only a great chance for the community to meet the team but also for the players to get to know some of those who support us all year. Take a few minutes tomorrow evening and come say hi, we’d love to get to meet the best fans in the country.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">-- Brady Jardine</div>http://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/10/blue-and-white-scrimmage-wednesday-oct.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Travis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-7947657956370834191Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:28:00 +00002011-10-15T14:00:20.392-07:00The Basketball Season Is Coming!It seems like pre-season conditioning and workouts just started yet somehow they're already over. The past few weeks have gone really well for the Utah State men's basketball team. Weight-lifting sessions have made us stronger, early morning conditioning periods have helped us get in better shape, and individual workouts have allowed the team to start learning the basic principles of our offense and defense.<br /><br /> It's been kind of funny to watch some of the new guys in practice and see the looks on their faces as coaches explain the plays and defensive rules, etc. Their eyes get huge and you can tell they're thinking, "How in the heck am I supposed to remember all this?" I've been there and know exactly how they're feeling. Being the new guy in Coach Morrill's system is like drinking through a fire hose. Everyday new stuff is being added and it takes a 100% mental focus throughout the entire practice to give your self a chance to understand what’s going on. I didn't realize how many things have turned into second nature over the past three years until I watched a bunch of newcomers trying to figure out what in the world is going on. The new guys are working extremely hard though and have made a ton of progress in just the last few weeks.<br /><br /> Coaches have given us the next few days off to rest up and get ready to go on Friday. Our first official practice will be this Friday at 5pm and from there, it's off to the races. We have our first exhibition game in just over two weeks and our first official game (BYU at home) in less than a month! Excitement is starting to build throughout the program as the season leading into a new era of Aggie Basketball approaches. It's our goal as a team to keep the tradition going and win a fifth-straight WAC Championship!<br /><br />-- Brady Jardinehttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/10/basketball-season-is-coming.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-2702270238580734303Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:05:00 +00002011-09-19T10:05:27.018-07:00Where Has The Time Gone?It seems like just yesterday that we were carrying the WAC Championship trophy through the Las Vegas airport on our way home from a successful tournament run. I can still feel the emotions of hearing our names called out in the NCAA tournament bracket and can still feel the frustrations of coming up short in that game. It all still feels so recent and yet here we are again, three weeks into school with the upcoming season just around the corner.<br /> As anyone that has followed Aggie Basketball in the past few years would know, we lost a ton of leadership, talent and experience with last year’s graduating class. Losing, Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams, Tai Wesley, Brian Green, Matt Formisano and Nate Bendall obviously leaves a huge hole needing to be filled in this year’s team. It’s been kind of funny to talk to people over the summer about the team becausemany act as if the Utah State Basketball program ended with last year’s seniors- like there isn’t even going to be a game played in the Spectrum this year. Well ladies and gentleman, there will be a team this year, and to be honest, I think we will surprise some people.<br /> The coaching staff has done an awesome job over the summer in bringing in some great recruits. I dare say that I believe we will be one of the most athletic teams in Utah State’s recent past. We are taller, quicker and more explosive than we’ve been since I’ve been an Aggie. The question still to be answered is will we have as much mental toughness and heart as the past years team.<br /> With school now rolling, the team has been in the weight room and gym for a couple hours each day. Last week we began our preseason conditioning program and boy was it tough. It’s amazing how quickly your body loses its “previous conditioning”. Along with conditioning, we’ve been lifting four days a week, having individual workouts twice a week and playing pickup ball 3-4 times a week. We’ve already come a long way as a team but still have a lot of learning to do. We currently only have four players that have ever played in a Division I basketball game. Luckily we have a staff that’s been very successful and knows what it takes to get a team ready to win basketball games. I have no doubt that by the time the season rolls around we will be ready to go. And as always, Coach Morrill will have us playing our best basketball come conference play. <br /><br />--Brady Jardinehttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/09/where-has-time-gone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-144015179833014099Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:03:00 +00002011-09-19T10:04:20.385-07:00Where Has The Time Gone?It seems like just yesterday that we were carrying the WAC Championship trophy through the Las Vegas airport on our way home from a successful tournament run. I can still feel the emotions of hearing our names called out in the NCAA tournament bracket and can still feel the frustrations of coming up short in that game. It all still feels so recent and yet here we are again, three weeks into school with the upcoming season just around the corner.<br /> As anyone that has followed Aggie Basketball in the past few years would know, we lost a ton of leadership, talent and experience with last year’s graduating class. Losing, Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams, Tai Wesley, Brian Green, Matt Formisano and Nate Bendall obviously leaves a huge hole needing to be filled in this year’s team. It’s been kind of funny to talk to people over the summer about the team becausemany act as if the Utah State Basketball program ended with last year’s seniors- like there isn’t even going to be a game played in the Spectrum this year. Well ladies and gentleman, there will be a team this year, and to be honest, I think we will surprise some people.<br /> The coaching staff has done an awesome job over the summer in bringing in some great recruits. I dare say that I believe we will be one of the most athletic teams in Utah State’s recent past. We are taller, quicker and more explosive than we’ve been since I’ve been an Aggie. The question still to be answered is will we have as much mental toughness and heart as the past years team.<br /> With school now rolling, the team has been in the weight room and gym for a couple hours each day. Last week we began our preseason conditioning program and boy was it tough. It’s amazing how quickly your body loses its “previous conditioning”. Along with conditioning, we’ve been lifting four days a week, having individual workouts twice a week and playing pickup ball 3-4 times a week. We’ve already come a long way as a team but still have a lot of learning to do. We currently only have four players that have ever played in a Division I basketball game. Luckily we have a staff that’s been very successful and knows what it takes to get a team ready to win basketball games. I have no doubt that by the time the season rolls around we will be ready to go. And as always, Coach Morrill will have us playing our best basketball come conference play. <br /><br />--Brady Jardinehttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/living-dream.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-6921552048590184639Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:21:00 +00002011-03-24T11:21:38.676-07:00Aggie Basketball TraditionWe finished this season with a disappointing loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. We prepared well and played extremely hard but we did not play extremely well. I am so sad to see my collegiate career come to an end along with many of my teammates who I love. I am so proud to be able to say that I played for Coach Morrill all four years. I got to be a part of the winningest senior class in the history of Utah State. The memories and lessons I have learned will stick with me forever. I am so grateful to the fans that have been so supportive!! Even though my career is over, Aggie Basketball will always be a part of me. I will miss being on the court when the Spectrum is rocking, but I will never forget how it feels. Even though many seniors graduate this year, Aggie Basketball will carry on the great tradition that has been built up over the years!!<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/aggie-basketball-tradition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-4662806610363793930Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:46:00 +00002011-03-15T14:47:11.245-07:00March Madness!!!As the WAC Tournament week came upon us we were excited to finish out the season strong. We headed down to Las Vegas on Thursday night after most teams had already played. We were excited to finally get down and play against a San Jose State team that played extremely well during the tournament. They played us tough and luckily we played an excellent defensive game or else we would have lost. It was nice to get that win under our belt and we knew we would play better in the title game against a Boise State team which had played well as of late. The championship game was so much fun as we came out and played confidently!! The thrill of our students rushing the court was incredible. Winning the WAC by numerous games and completing the year by winning the tournament was the best way to do it our senior year. We celebrated all night with the amazing Aggie fans that packed the Orleans Arena. Making our tournament games feel like home games has been a trend recently for Aggie fans at the conference tournament. We are so appreciative of our fans that are so dedicated and travel with us!! Thank you!!<br /><br />Winning the tournament means that we punched our ticket to the Big Dance. We had a party on the third floor of our athletic facility to watch where we would be headed. The excitement of waiting for our name to be called is so much fun. I have always dreamed of playing in the NCAA Tournament and this will be the third time I am able to play which has been a dream come true. We found where we are headed during the last bracket announced. We play Kansas State in Tucson on Thursday night. We are excited to play against a really great Big 12 team. We are going to prepare to win and show the country that the Utah State Aggies are for real. We are excited for the opportunity to make a wonderful season even better!! <br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-madness_15.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-1220358522809459732Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:46:00 +00002011-03-15T14:49:27.872-07:00http://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-madness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-7872624471394692522Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:10:00 +00002011-03-10T10:11:48.917-08:00Championship WeekESPN calls this week championship week. All the teams in Division I conferences get to battle it out during a one week tournament for a chance to make the Big Dance automatically. This week we get to go to Vegas. We are excited for the games to start so that we can see who we are going to play. The WAC finally decided to have a neutral site conference tournament which is going to be a blast. We are putting in the work this week to give us the best shot we can at winning the whole thing. This week is what college basketball is all about. A chance to earn a trip to play in the NCAA Tournament is at stake and we will be ready for the challenge. We are excited to leave this week and hope many people are able to come and cheer us on in the WAC Tournament. GO AGGIES!!http://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/championship-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-6907575384587215687Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:14:00 +00002011-03-09T17:15:36.392-08:00A Little More In The Coming Weeks!This regular season has been very successful. If someone would have told me that we would be 28-3 and nationally ranked for much of the last few months of the season I would have been ecstatic. We completed a road sweep this last road trip to close out the regular season. Our defense has helped us to win close games. Winning at New Mexico State felt great!! It is always a great accomplishment to beat them in Las Cruces. They had not lost a WAC game this year at home and we were able to break their streak. We overwhelmed Louisiana Tech in the first 10 minutes to have a big lead that we would not surrender. We were so excited to win the WAC with a 15-1 record. Our fourth straight conference championship means a lot to me and my teammates. All the hard work we have put in this past year has paid off. It was weird playing my final regular season game as an Aggie. We have done great things this season, but we look forward to a little more in the coming weeks!!<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/03/little-more-in-coming-weeks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-7301230387893218337Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:51:00 +00002011-02-25T11:53:37.543-08:00"The game was one that I will remember forever."The team was excited to head to California to take on Saint Mary’s. The practices leading up to the game were great and we had a great game plan. McKeon Pavilion is a fun place to play. The gym is very small and I don’t think that security could have allowed any more people in the game. We started out the game and took a lead into the first ten minutes of the first half. After taking a lead we let St. Mary’s go on a run into half-time. It was a very frustrating first half for me as I picked up my third foul with ten minutes left in the first half. I knew I was not going to play again in that half. I felt helpless on the bench during a stretch where we could not score a basket which led to a nine point halftime deficit. At half-time we did not panic and we talked about shaving a few points off their lead every four minutes. I was excited to play the second half after being in foul trouble. The second half we came out hot and played one of our best halves all season. We talked at half-time about how great it was going to feel coming back into the locker room after coming back to win the game. We all knew we could do it if we played up to our potential. The game was one that I will remember forever. There were so many emotions with the strongest coming when Brady Jardine had a massive dunk with a few minutes left that sealed the game for us. The locker room after the game was a very fun place to be. <br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/02/game-was-one-that-i-will-remember.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-3013348822335664603Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:47:00 +00002011-02-17T12:50:02.281-08:00Broken Backboards and BracketBustersSince the last time I wrote a lot has happened. We had a tough loss at Idaho where we were outplayed and struggled to score the basketball. The Fresno State game was a great game to get the bad taste of a loss out of our mouth. We are disappointed in the loss to Idaho but we have learned from it and are moving on. It’s always exciting to take a break from conference play. We played Montana-Western in a game last night. We shot the ball great which is nice to see. Hopefully we can take our hot shooting last night on the road to Saint Mary’s this weekend. Tai Wesley broke the backboard during half-time warm-ups last night. That was something I have never seen before. Tai felt bad at first, but everyone thought it was pretty incredible that he shattered the backboard. I was not as impressed once the second backboard shattered while it was being worked on (Ha Ha). I will never forget pulling out the practice side basket to play the rest of the game with. It was an odd experience to say the least. With that game behind us we now put our full focus on Saint Mary’s. We are so excited to go play a BracketBuster game against a nationally ranked team on their court. We have a wonderful opportunity to show what we can do. I was excited to play Saint Mary’s again this year because they have beat us twice in the last two years. We begin our preparation for the game today. These types of games are what college basketball is about. The game is going to be intense. Hopefully we will perform well and have a chance to win.<br /><br />-- Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/02/broken-backboards-and-bracketbusters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-2843727182611440286Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:10:00 +00002011-02-08T15:12:18.623-08:00National ExposureComing back to the Spectrum during this past week was amazing. We played two great games and had two convincing wins in front of great fans. We have received a lot of national exposure this week, which is really fun to see. It’s important that we as players continue to do the little things everyday to improve our team. We must understand what has got us this great start and continue to do those things. It has been fun to see the Spectrum get recognized this week as one of the toughest places to play in the country. We are so grateful to the fans that come and support us and make the Spectrum what it is!! This week we have our chess match game against Idaho. Both teams are familiar with each others plays and tendencies. Coach Verlin and Coach Morrill were together so long that both teams have very similar styles. The game will come down to who can execute their game plan the best. We are excited for another nationally televised game to show how well we can perform on the road as a team. Composure will be huge this game as Idaho will give us looks that we have not seen. We must be solid and take what the game gives us and we will have a chance to win. <br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/02/national-exposure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-5428724822361320730Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:26:00 +00002011-02-01T14:27:03.488-08:00Roller-Coaster Road TripLots of travel and a few time changes made this last road trip a tough one. The team played extremely hard against San Jose State and we came out with a big win!! Brian Green was on fire in San Jose. He could not miss and we ran numerous plays to get him a good look at the basket and he converted time after time. We felt really good about a solid win in San Jose because they caused us fits in Logan. The next day we flew across the ocean and had a few hours to enjoy the beach and rest before practice. Hawaii had not played all week and the University was promoting the game all week. It’s a great feeling to know that we are the team that other schools and fans get up for when we come into town. The atmosphere at the game was the best I have seen at Hawaii. The game was a roller-coaster of emotions to say the least. Many lead changes and clutch plays by both teams made it a tremendous college basketball game. Many big shots were hit time after time throughout the game. Brian Green made two huge shots that kept us in the game. We showed our maturity and playmaking ability down the stretch that showed why we are a great team. I am sure anyone that stayed up to watch or listen to the game almost had a heart attack. I know that after the big win I was physically and emotionally drained. I have never been part of a game with more emotional changes in my whole career. It was a game that I will remember the rest of my life. We found a way to win even when our chances looked slim. It is always nice to get out of Hawaii with a win so that the long flight back across the ocean is a little more tolerable. We are excited to continue our winning streak at home this week against Nevada on national TV. <br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/02/roller-coaster-road-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-7075712819114093526Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:51:00 +00002011-01-25T11:52:31.375-08:00California and HawaiiHome games last week boosted players as we were able to play in front of a powerful Spectrum crowd. Students were back and always make the building electric. Two bloody and physical home wins have given us a lead in the conference race. Being 7-0, we are excited to try and keep our streak going on the road this week in San Jose and Hawaii. Watching the snow pound Logan this morning gets us excited to leave and play in sunny California/Hawaii. We have started out the conference season well but we are not going to be satisfied until the season is over. Any road trip to Hawaii is always tougher because of the longer travel time. We must be focused and inspired to continue to play well this week!!<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/01/california-and-hawaii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-4188516250616706036Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:57:00 +00002011-01-20T10:58:57.243-08:00Back in the Spectrum!After what seemed like an eternity without a game in the Spectrum we are finally back and excited to play Louisiana Tech tonight with all the students in town. We are happy coming off a big road sweep. We are getting better each week as a team. Limiting our turnovers will be a big focus this week. Defensively, we have improved as of late which has helped tremendously. Tonight we have a opportunity to set a record for consecutive WAC games won in a row. We hope to accomplish this but we are not focusing on it. Louisiana Tech must have our full attention because they always play well in Logan. We hope everyone will be in the Spectrum tonight. Saturday we conclude the week with a game against New Mexico State.<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/01/back-in-spectrum.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-164616631921189348Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:48:00 +00002011-01-12T14:48:26.354-08:00Road TripA great come-from-behind win at Nevada has helped us get on the right track in the conference season and with what looks like one of the toughest road trips this year coming up, it is a good sign. Boise and Fresno have both been playing great and so this road trip will decide who is on the top of the WAC early in conference play. Getting better everyday is the biggest priority this time of the year. We are not going to fall into the trap of complacency, thinking that because we have won a few in a row that we are invincible. We must work hard everyday in order to contend for the WAC title and that’s what we are going to try and accomplish.<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2011/01/road-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-8691339755219065373Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:10:00 +00002010-12-29T09:11:45.186-08:00WAC play begins!!!The Gossner tournament has come and passed and now we are prepared to defend our WAC title. After a great Christmas break, practice is now focused towards a confident Hawaii team that is looking to beat us in the conference opener. This time of year is fun because the games become more and more meaningful. The Spectrum will be the place to be during the next few months. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that the fans are as excited as we are to start conference play once again.<br /><br />--Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2010/12/wac-play-begins.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7303282648676968647.post-6057148932410551515Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:46:00 +00002010-12-18T06:48:28.533-08:00Basketball and ChristmasWith a 7-2 start we feel pretty good with where we are at right now. We wish we could be 9-0 but we have not played well enough to deserve that start. We have been taking advantage of practice time after the Bakersfield game to prepare ourselves for the last part of preseason. Better offensive execution and a more consistent defensive presence are big things we have been fine-tuning in preparation for the Utah Valley game on Saturday. Our biggest goal is to be WAC Champions and we are doing our best right now so that as the year continues we will be playing our best basketball at the end of the season. We are extremely excited to be out of school and enjoying the Christmas season full of basketball games!!<br /><br />-- Tyler Newboldhttp://usubasketball.blogspot.com/2010/12/basketball-and-christmas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Utah State Aggie Basketball)0